


South Strand

by spellcastersjudgement



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: Awkwardness, Boys In Love, Dry Humping, Hand Jobs, M/M, Mutual Pining, Outdoor Sex, Porn with Feelings, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-25
Updated: 2018-04-25
Packaged: 2019-04-27 16:48:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14429931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spellcastersjudgement/pseuds/spellcastersjudgement
Summary: "Seeing Jim Cook after three years was exciting, yes, but it brought back a whole mess of issues from college that Jesse had not expected to ever have to deal with ever again. Namely, their not-relationship that was sorta a relationship that they sorta broke off after graduation, but since it was a not-relationship that was sorta a relationship they didn’t talk about it. It was confusing then—fun, but confusing. And when it’d come time to deal with it, they’d both ran away.Just like some shit out of Syrus’s novels."





	South Strand

**Author's Note:**

> alright yall this is my first attempt at porn with feelings...like we say the L word in this one and i have never done this before...usually the quick and nasty kinda gal 
> 
> but these two are perfect??? idk yall i just like the thought of them being together...like actually together?? 
> 
> anyway yall please enjoy the 90% fluff and feelings and 10% actual porn that this is 
> 
> also part 3 of my sinful bastion porn series is in the works so i guess yall can say we're gettin back to our regularly scheduled programming

It was barely ten in the morning, yet the heat had already fallen over Pawleys Island like a blanket. Jesse stood on the porch, coffee in hand, piping hot to match the weather. His black sleep pants were sticking to his legs and his t-shirt was starting to feel stuffy, but he stood outside nonetheless. Jaden and Syrus would be here any minute, and he wanted to run out to their car as soon as he saw them. 

He saw his college friends frequently, Skyped, texted, and called them every day, yet each time he was still jumping out of his skin with excitement to throw his arms around them before dragging them inside his house. Jaden and Syrus were coming back from a tournament in Savannah, the former having accomplished his dream of becoming a professional duelist, with the latter having the full time job of being Jaden’s boyfriend and manager. Jesse remembered travelling with Jaden and Syrus during his own time as a professional duelist, his Crystal Beasts winning him several tournaments all over the world. He’d retired from professional dueling a few years ago and put that Hospitality & Tourism Management degree to some use to open the Sea Crystal Hotel overlooking the beach. If he’d been asked five years ago if he’d be using a degree he’d essentially closed his eyes and picked at random, he would’ve laughed and said that was ridiculous, yet here he was. Jaden loved to tease him about it though Jesse knew he was proud of him. What were best friends if they didn’t rag on you constantly?

Jesse’s face broke in to a smile as Syrus’s car pulled in to his driveway, the passenger door flying open before the vehicle came to a complete halt, Jaden practically somersaulting over the hood to sprint toward the porch. Jesse opened the screen door and ran out to him, arms outstretched, coffee spilling all over the walkway and grass. 

“Jess!” Jaden pulled him in to a hug that squeezed the breath out of his lungs. “Oh, god—Jess you smell like sweat!”

“Nice to see you too, Jay,” Jesse laughed, returning the embrace. “Seems like you gave little Sy a heart attack, jumpin’ out the car like that,” 

“I gave him a heart attack the past two days, are you kidding?” Jaden said. “Made some new friends and we ran around Savannah. I was late for all of my matches and almost got disqualified!” 

“That wasn’t funny, Jaden!” Syrus had come over, scowl on his face, arms crossed. “The registration fee for that tournament was too much and your opponents were too highly ranked for you to fuck it up by being late,” 

“Aw, babe. I did good enough, considering I was plastered for every single one of my duels,” Jaden said, looking back at his diminutive boyfriend with a smile. 

Syrus rolled his eyes. “Second place is more than ‘good enough’ Jaden. You could duel in a coma, I’m convinced,” 

“Second place?” Jesse gasped. “The mighty Jaden Yuki lost to someone?” 

“It was Zane,” Syrus said. 

“I would’ve won if I hadn’t been drinking mint juleps all morning,” Jaden insisted. “I don’t even understand why Zane was competing in this one,” 

“It’s the biggest in the southeast, Jaden,” Syrus said. He turned his gaze to Jesse. “Nice to see you again, Jesse. Sorry I didn’t say hello properly,” 

“Aw, Sy. Don’t worry ‘bout it,” Jesse said. He pried himself out of Jaden’s embrace, as he was starting to sweat even more. “Well, y’all grab y’all’s bags and let’s do somethin’! Maggie and Cam are managin’ the hotel today so we can go ham,” 

“Oh, Jess—forgot to tell you. We brought someone back with us,” Jaden said. “Not like a weirdo or anything,” 

“He lets you in the house, Jaden,” Syrus said, earning himself a noogie from Jaden. 

“That’s awesome! Where are they?” Jesse laughed. 

“Hey, Jim!” Jaden called. 

“Jim?” Jesse asked. Jim, from college? No way, he went back to Australia after graduation to continue his career as an archaeologist. Maybe this was one of Jaden’s new friends he’d made at the tournament. It wouldn’t be the first time the brunette had brought somebody back. 

“Sorry, mate. Was gettin’ our bags out the car,” 

That accent. Jesse’s heart jumped, coffee mug slipping out of his hand, crashing on the pavement. Shards of ceramic cut into his feet, spikes of pain shooting up his legs. Jaden swore loudly and Syrus gasped. The remaining bit of hot coffee drenched Jesse’s pants and burned the newly formed cuts, and Jesse let out his own curses in pain and embarrassment. 

“Jesse! Are you alright?” Syrus’s asked, concerned. “Let’s get you inside,” 

“I’m okay, I’m okay!” Jesse insisted, face heating up. “Like Jay said, I’m sweaty and it just slipped,” 

“I dunno Jess, you’re bleeding,” Jaden said, looking down at his feet. “Hope you weren’t attached to that cup,” 

“Oi, what happened here?” 

Jesse turned his head. Jim Cook. From college. He hadn’t seen the Australian in years, and he’d somehow managed to get even more attractive. Eye still covered by a bandage, hair still covered by that cowboy hat that Jesse had often teased him for wearing, but no crocodile, which was surprising. Jim never went anywhere without Shirley. He wasn’t even wearing that carrier on his back that would transport the reptile. He wasn’t wearing any of his typical clothes, even. Only some well-fitting jeans and a V-neck that looked to be about three sizes too small for him. 

Not that Jesse was complaining. 

“Jess sweated his coffee out of his hand,” Jaden laughed. “Jess, you remember Jim, right?” 

Jesse stopped admiring the man to answer. “Oh, yeah of course, Jay. It’s been years, Jim. How’ve ya’ been?” 

“Jesse Anderson. It’s good to see you, mate,” Jim extended his hand. “I’ve been great, yourself?” 

Jesse accepted the handshake, though he was certain his hand would be sweaty and unpleasant to touch. “Aw, I’ve been alright,” 

“Not alright right now. Got yourself all cut up it seems,” Jim looked down at the shattered mug. 

“Nothin’ some witch hazel and a band-aid can’t heal,” Jesse laughed. The cuts were starting to smart and he felt like an ass standing there with the evidence of his excitement at hearing Jim’s voice on the ground. “C’mon, y’all. Let’s get inside. We can get y’all’s stuff in a minute,” 

“Yeah, gotta clean up the coffee first,” Jaden threw his arm around Jesse’s shoulder and walked with him to the door, opening it so they could walk into the screened-off porch together. “Hey, Jess—I haven’t had breakfast. Can you make me some of that stuff you like?” 

“Jaden, he’s bleeding! Don’t start asking him to cook you breakfast!” Syrus admonished. 

“Syrus is right, Jaden. Let the bloke sit down a second,” Jim said. “He’s got ‘imself a trail of bloody footprints,” 

“Aw, I’m not bleedin’ that much,” Jesse said. “What kinda breakfast you want, Jay? I like a lot of food so you’ll have to be a bit more specific,” 

“That oatmeal stuff—but it’s like, white,” Jaden dropped his arm from Jesse’s shoulders so the blue-haired boy could sit down at one of the kitchen chairs and examine his foot. 

“Grits,” Jesse said. Finally able to look at the damage, he was shocked to find that Jim was right, he’d indeed left a trail from the porch to the kitchen of wet, coffee and blood-stained footprints. “Damn, I didn’t think it was that bad,” 

“That mug was out to get you,” Jaden agreed, stooping down. “Where do you keep your band-aids?” 

“I can get ‘em Jay, don’t worry ‘bout it,” Jesse said, making a move to stand up. 

“Oh, no you don’t,” Syrus appeared to push him back down into the chair. “We’re always here imposing upon you, let us help you while you bleed out in peace,” 

Jesse relented. “In the bathroom. The mirror opens to a medicine cabinet,” 

“Got it!” Jaden, who was incapable of walking at a normal pace, bounded off to retrieve them. 

Syrus announced he was getting something to clean the cuts with and left, leaving Jesse and Jim in the kitchen together. 

Jesse, not one for silence, asked, “so where’s your friend?” 

“Shirley’s gettin’ too old to be off galivanting around the world with me,” Jim said while pulling out a chair to sit down next to Jesse. “She’s hangin’ out at the vet clinic,” 

“What? Is she sick?” Jesse asked. 

“Oh, no—sorry I forgot you didn’t know I became a vet,” Jim said. “Was gonna do archaeology, but Shirley and I had a talk ‘bout it and I changed course,” 

Jesse wasn’t surprised he’d talked it over with the crocodile. 

“I wanted to bring ‘er, really I did. Registerin’ in this tournament was last-minute so I didn’t get to say goodbye to ‘er properly,” Jim said. 

“Oh, you competed? How’d you do?” 

“Third place. Lost to Jaden in the semifinals,” he laughed. “He’s gotten even better since our uni days,” 

There was another lull in the conversation after Jesse congratulated him. Jesse was struggling not to stare at Jim, so he looked at his feet. That kept him from staring, but now he was feeling a second wave of embarrassment. If he’d acted like an adult instead of a schoolboy with a crush, he would’ve been able to hold on to the damn mug. Also, what was taking Jaden and Syrus so long? 

“What’re you doin’ with y’self nowadays, Jesse?” 

“Me? Oh, just workin’ mostly. I own a hotel now,” Jesse answered. “Guess we both went through some career changes,” 

“Seems that way,” Jim smiled, a soft, close-lipped smile that made Jesse’s heart jump. 

_Get it together_ , he told himself. _Whatever happened at college is over now, been over for years_. 

“Jess—” 

“I’m back!” Jaden triumphantly held up a box of band-aids. Syrus came in behind him holding a washcloth. “Sorry, Syrus jumped me and we made out for like ten minutes,” 

“I didn’t jump you! You jumped me!” Syrus objected. 

“I’ve heard it both ways,” Jaden shrugged. “Time to go to work, Dr. Truesdale,” 

Syrus handed Jesse the cloth. “I can get started cleaning up outside while you do this,” 

“Sy, you really don’t have to,” Jesse insisted. “I messed up, I’ll clean it,” 

“Jesse Anderson, I will kick your ass if you even try,” Syrus said. 

“He likes to threaten a lot,” Jaden said. “Sometimes I miss when Syrus was afraid of his own shadow,” 

“The only thing I’m afraid of is you publicly embarrassing me,” Syrus retorted. “Jesse, where’s your broom?” 

“Hall closet,” Jesse said, gently wiping away the blood that was starting to dry on his feet. Everyone practically doting on him was making him the slightest bit uncomfortable, but he knew better than to argue. 

“Hey, Jess—how hard would you slap me if I put the bandages on for you?” Jaden winked. 

“I wouldn’t slap you,” Jesse plucked the box of band-aids from his hand. “I’d throw your duel disk in the bathtub,” 

“Oh-ho, that’s true evil, Jay,” Jim laughed. “You’d better watch out,” 

“I’m hiding my duel disk from you,” Jaden stuck his tongue out. “Oh, Jess—are you gonna be too much of an invalid to make breakfast?” 

“Jaden, keep talkin’ to me like that and you can make it yourself,” Jesse finished bandaging himself and stood up. “Look at that, y’all—I can stand. Now we can laugh about how clumsy I am,” 

“Oh, no—you’re gonna fall!” Jaden reached out to steady Jesse, laughing as he dodged a swat. “Oh, oh—let’s go to the beach today! Not the one I got banned at, but you know—different one,” 

“You got yourself banned from a beach, Jaden?” Jim asked. 

“Oh holy shit—I gotta tell you this,” 

Jesse listened to Jaden recount his story, trying not to think about how he’d be seeing Jim Cook half-naked and dripping with saltwater in a few hours. 

 

\------

 

Jesse sat in his office at Sea Crystal, staring at his computer and being utterly unproductive. It was three in the afternoon, and besides the few phone calls he’d made and bills he’d paid, nothing had happened. He had things to do—they were sitting on is desk, waiting for him to look them over, but instead he’d rotated between watching HGTV (for ideas about how he would remodel the hotel, if he so chose), Pinterest (dinner ideas), and playing Tetris, which he wasn’t very good at but it took up a lot of time. Maggie was at the front desk today and had poked her head in to check on him a few times to see him fake being deeply invested in payroll. 

It’d been two days since Jaden, Syrus, and Jim had come to stay. Jesse loved having them over, loved coming home after work and seeing Jaden’s things scattered all over the living room while he slept, open-mouthed and drooling, on the couch while ESPN blared on the TV, Syrus blushing while reading some cheesy romance novel. It was just like college, where the three of them would congregate in Jaden and Syrus’s dorm room, waiting for their other friends to show up and crowd the tiny space with backpacks and duel disks, drinking cheap beer and bitching about school between rounds of Duel Monsters. Jesse never thought he’d see the day where he wanted to come home to an empty, spotless house, yet here he was, wishing that Jaden’s next tournament was tomorrow instead of next week. 

Seeing Jim Cook after three years was exciting, yes, but it brought back a whole mess of issues from college that Jesse had not expected to ever have to deal with ever again. Namely, their not-relationship that was sorta a relationship that they sorta broke off after graduation, but since it was a not-relationship that was sorta a relationship they didn’t talk about it. It was confusing then—fun, but confusing. And when it’d come time to deal with it, they’d both ran away. 

Just like some shit out of Syrus’s novels. 

If Jesse wasn’t certain that no one knew about their not-relationship, he would think that Jaden and Syrus had dragged the Australian here to force a confrontation. That wasn’t like either one of them though. Jaden would’ve openly stated his intentions before attempting to fix the problem, and Syrus would’ve conveniently left every time Jesse and Jim were in a room together to encourage them to solve it on their own. The past two days, however, all four of them had been together when Jesse wasn’t at work. Jaden and Syrus hadn’t seemed to notice that Jesse and Jim were awkwardly dancing around conversations with each other. And they certainly hadn’t noticed the rising amount of tension in the house, starting with the beach incident on the first day. 

Jesse was right to be worried about shirtless Jim dripping with saltwater. Even though he’d elected to hang out with Syrus, safely on the beach towels by the dunes, he had a direct line of sight to where Jaden and Jim were playing what looked like a violent game of Marco Polo, tackling each other and chasing each other through the water. Against his better judgment, Jesse had watched Jim’s every move. The way he picked Jaden up with ease and flung him in to the water reminded him just how strong the man was—not that he didn’t already know that, he’d been picked up by Jim several times, though in a much different context—and this soon devolved into fantasies of Jesse being in Jaden’s place, feeling that sun-warmed skin beneath his hands as he attempted to push the Australian into the water, being grabbed around the waist and thrown over his shoulder, scratching down his back in an attempt to get free. Everything Jaden was doing was innocent, all in good fun. Jesse felt ashamed that he’d taken his friends innocent game and morphed it in to something dirty. 

If that had been the end of it, it wouldn’t have been a problem. No, the problem started when Jaden and Jim came back to where they’d set up camp under the guise of getting a drink. Jesse, who had the foresight to put on his sunglasses, openly stared at Jim, who didn’t seem to notice. Jaden was talking to his boyfriend, telling him to put on more sunscreen so he wouldn’t burn, telling Syrus in a manner that was too cheesy to be suggestive that he’d be happy to rub it on him. Syrus opened his mouth to respond, but all that came out was a scream as Jaden unceremoniously picked him up and dashed back down to the water. Jesse started laughing, clutching his stomach as a string of obscenities echoed back up the beach, cut short by Syrus hitting the water. 

“Don’t think you’re gettin’ outta this, Jess,” 

It was Jesse’s turn to swear as Jim scooped him up, one leg under his knees, the other supporting his back, running down to join the other two. Jesse, without thinking, clutched onto Jim’s neck, half-screaming, half-laughing as he was dropped into the frigid water next to Syrus. 

“You both looked too happy up there,” Jaden laughed. “Time for you to play tackle Marco Polo with us,” 

“Jay,” Syrus whined. “We played that at Duel Academy and I always lost in the first round,” 

“Aw, c’mon babe. I’ll go easy on you,” Jaden said. “Jim and I are experts—seasoned veterans, so we’d totally destroy you, but we’ll be nice,” 

“Sounds like you and me are on a team, Sy,” Jesse said, turning to face him. “It’s alright. Y’all may be strong, but Sy and I are fast, you won’t be able to catch us,” 

“Is that a challenge, Anderson?” Jaden asked. 

“Not a challenge, a fact,” 

“Well let’s put that to the test,” Jim said. Jesse didn’t have time to react before he was picked up again, pressed tightly against the other man’s chest, swearing loudly. 

He expected Jim to throw him back into the water, as was custom. He didn’t though, just stood there with Jesse in his arms, their wet bodies pressed together. Jesse’s arms had reflexively gone around the other’s neck again, holding tightly. When Jesse became aware that he was not being hurled into the ocean, he opened his eyes, looking at Jim’s eye, which was staring at him intensely. Jesse’s heart sped up and his stomach fluttered, feeling both embarrassed and giddy that he could feel Jim’s muscular frame pressed against him, see every drop of water sliding down his arms, the heat beating down on them and the breeze blowing in between the few inches that separated their faces. Jesse would blame it on the heat, but he suddenly got the urge to close the gap between their faces. 

Jaden had interrupted and cut that short, thankfully. Jesse wouldn’t be able to explain his way out of that one. The game of tackle Marco Polo had gone back to Jaden and Jim a few minutes after, with Jesse and Syrus retreating to the safety of the beach towels. 

Things had been tenser between Jesse and Jim after that, not like Jaden and Syrus had noticed. Jesse was perfectly fine with that. He wouldn’t see Jim after he left, he was certain. He vowed not to be put in a situation where he’d be tempted to kiss Jim again. 

Then, the next morning came. 

Jesse, unlike Jaden and Syrus, was an early riser. It was eight in the morning, and he had to go in to the hotel today to do a few things. Nothing that would take a full work day, but if he went in early he’d be back by the time the others were awake. He was sipping coffee and watching the news, leaning against the counter, back to the entrance, when he almost had a repeat of yesterday. 

“G’mornin’, Jess,” 

Jumping out of his skin, coffee splashed on the counter and over Jesse’s hand. He didn’t drop the mug, but the piping hot liquid burned him, filling the kitchen with half-formed swear words and angry grunting. 

“Sorry, Jess. Didn’t mean t’ scare you,” Jim apologized, coming over with napkins to wipe up the counter. 

“’Salright,” Jesse said, embarrassed that he’d been so easily frightened. “Not used to anyone else bein’ up, I guess,” 

“Yeah, Jaden and Syrus were up late so they’re a bit knackered. Prolly will sleep ‘til about noon or so,” 

“Was thinkin’ you’d be doin’ the same thing,” 

“Jet lag,” Jim said. “I haven’t been able to adjust fully yet,” 

Jesse sipped his coffee. “Sorry to hear that,” 

Silence fell over the kitchen, the two of them staring at each other while trying not to stare at the same time. Jesse felt like he was back in middle school. 

Jim finally broke the silence. “How are your feet?” 

“Fine. Weren’t very deep, the cuts,” 

“Glad to hear. Hated to see you hurt like that,” 

“It wasn’t that bad,” Jesse said. 

“I know, I just—it’s alright, Jess. Glad to see you’re better,”

Silence again. More staring but not staring. 

Jesse decided to focus on sipping his coffee, staring down at the cup to hide the blush on his face. Why couldn’t he talk like a normal person in front of Jim? 

_You know why_ , he thought. Not a very helpful thought, but an accurate one. 

“Jesse,” 

The blue-haired man looked up to see Jim standing much closer to him, leaning against the counter with one hand. Even leaning, Jim was still a few inches taller, and Jesse felt like he was being boxed in, heat rushing to his face. 

“Yeah?” he said, clearing his throat so he wouldn’t sound like he’d just hit puberty. 

“Thank you,” Jim was looking at him with that same intensity as yesterday at the beach, and Jesse could feel his insides squirm. “Letting me stay here after not seein’ you for years—very nice of you,” 

“Don’t worry ‘bout it,” Jesse said, this time unable to keep his voice from sounding raspy. “I don’t mind y’all crashin’ here,” 

“I know you don’ mind them,” he said. “I didn’t know if you’d mind me, seeing how—I guess I didn’t even know if you’d want to see me,” 

Oh, no. Not right now. Jesse knew, logically, that they should have this conversation. Another, pettier, part of him insisted that they’d been just fine without this conversation and it didn’t need to happen an hour before he went in to work. Jim leaning over him was reminiscent of yesterday at the beach, and Jesse wasn’t sure that he would be able to stop himself if the urge to kiss the man came over him again. 

“Jim, it ain’t a big deal,” he said, trying to keep his voice level. They hadn’t broken eye contact. Had Jim gotten closer? It felt like it. They weren’t touching, but Jesse swore he could feel Jim’s breath, feel the heat radiating off of him. 

_Don’t kiss him don’t kiss him don’t kiss him_. 

“Jesse, I’m sayin’ this ‘cause my flight doesn’t leave until next week. I understand if you don’t want me here that long—” 

“I said it’s fine, Jim,” Jesse interrupted, voice a bit harsher than he wanted. “I mean—you can stay here until your flight leaves. Ain’t no trouble,” 

“I only want to be here if you want me here,” 

Jesse didn’t know what to say to that. His eyes dropped back to his cup. He did want Jim here. What he didn’t want was tension so thick he was convinced it had settled in the house like a fog. At the same time, he didn’t want to address it. What a mess. 

“Jesse,” 

He kept his eyes on his coffee. 

“Jesse, please look at me,” 

“Jim, I don’t know what you want me to say. I said ‘salright that you stay,” he didn’t look up, was afraid of what emotion he’d find in Jim’s eye. 

The Australian fell silent. Jesse was about to take his leave, go in to work a bit earlier. Needed to get out of this situation. Opening his mouth to excuse himself, his words caught in his throat as he felt Jim’s hand on his cheek, angling his head back, forcing their eyes to meet. 

Jim’s hand felt like it was searing his flesh, the left side of his face erupting in what felt like fireworks. Yesterday, when Jim had been holding him, their half-naked bodies pressed against each other, didn’t feel nearly as intimate as the way Jim was cradling his face. The gentle touch made Jesse flush, biting his lip and gripping his coffee, trying and failing not to hold the other’s gaze. 

“Jesse,” Jim said his name again, and Jesse relished the way each letter dripped off of his lips. “Jess—Jesse, I missed you,” 

Jim’s voice was barely above a whisper now. When had they gotten so close? Jesse’s mind was scrambling, thoughts racing, torn between leaning in to Jim’s gentle touch and sprinting out and never coming home. He couldn’t do it again—couldn’t listen to Jim say sweet things to him before disappearing without any closure. 

“I h-have to go,” Jesse said, sidestepping Jim, grabbing his keys, and rushing out the door. 

That night when he’d gotten home, Jim didn’t try to approach him again. Jesse couldn’t tell if he was unhappy with that or not, his stomach an uncomfortable mess of emotions. 

That brought him to this morning. Jesse had woken up even earlier, with the idea that he’d slip out to avoid Jim. It was silly, he knew. It would be better in the long run to be an adult and talk about it. On the other hand, Jesse didn’t even know where to begin. It was a not-relationship they’d had. It wasn’t some tragic love story where they were separated by the two of them living on opposite ends of the world. It was an awkward end to a year-long tryst where Jesse had maybe kinda fallen head over heels with the other man and never gathered enough courage to tell him. 

Entering into the kitchen with the goal of coffee and go, he was stopped short by Jim, who was already in the kitchen and nursing a cup of coffee. 

So much for his plan. 

“G’mornin’,” Jim said. 

“Mornin’,” Jesse responded.

Silence again, except this time there was no awkward staring or palpable tension. Jesse glanced over to the Australian as he poured his coffee. The man looked like hell. He must not have been able to sleep. He’d been here for almost a week, what with the tournament lasting four days, it was surprising that the jet lag hadn’t let up at all. 

“You alright?” Jesse asked. That was an innocent question, couldn’t possibly lead to any deeper topics of conversation. 

“Hmm? Oh, yeah—tired,” Jim said, his voice heavy. 

“Is the bed not comfy enough? I can getcha some new pillows,” 

“’Snot the bed, but thank you,” Jim rubbed his eye as if trying to forcibly remove the exhaustion from his body. It must not have worked, since he stood up to join Jesse by the coffee pot, topping off his cup. “Hope y’got some more of this. I’ll prolly drink the whole damn thing,” 

“Yeah, I got more. Try to get some sleep while I’m workin’. If I can bring you somethin’ to help you sleep, tell Jaden or Syrus to text me,” 

“Yeah, ‘course,” Jim returned to his seat, staring blankly at the coffee. It was as if sitting down flipped a switch. His head, which was resting on his palm, slid off, startling him awake. “Don’t let me keep you from workin’,” 

Jesse watched as his eye slid shut again, his elbow threatening to knock the coffee mug off of the counter. He couldn’t leave him here like this. 

“C’mon, Jim,” Jesse placed his own mug on the counter and walked over to the mostly-asleep man. He tugged on his elbow, jostling him awake. “Let’s get you to bed,” 

“’kay,” 

Jesse kept his hand on Jim’s arm, afraid he’d fall asleep on his feet. It was not at all so he could have that contact he craved ever since Jim had touched him yesterday or the day before. Walking to the guest bedroom, he led the man inside, guiding him over to the bed. 

_You can go now,_ Jesse thought. _Don’t needa tuck him in_. 

Jesse wouldn’t describe pulling back the covers and watching Jim climb in, then putting the covers back over him as “tucking him in.” No, it was being nice. Even if things were a tense mess between them, he didn’t have an excuse to be mean. 

“Get some sleep,” Jesse said, not meaning for his voice to drop down to barely above a whisper. He turned to leave when he felt his wrist being grabbed. Heart beating out of his chest, he turned back around. “What is it?” 

“Thanks, Jess,” Jim’s words were slurred, clearly on the verge of sleep again. Still holding on to Jesse’s hand, he brought it up to his mouth, kissing the palm and smiling before his eyes slid shut. 

Jesse was floored. The spot where Jim’s lips had touched was tingling, and he stared at his palm like it held the secrets of the universe. Jim had kissed him. Whirling around, he sped out of the room, careful in his haste to close the door as quietly as possible before sprinting out of the house, forgetting his coffee in the process. 

That brought him to the present. His hand had stopped tingling, but every time he looked at it he could feel Jim’s lips. It was as if he’d been branded. From his desk, it was easy to write it off as an extremely vivid hallucination, however as the time to head home approached it was harder to stay in denial. 

He wasn’t getting anything done here, though. Maybe if he went home and played a few rounds of Duel Monsters with Jaden he’d get his mind off of things. Closing his laptop, Jesse decided that distraction at home was better than wasting his time here. Tomorrow would be a much more productive day, he vowed. 

Waving goodbye to Maggie, Jesse exited the building, the stuffy, humid air significantly more difficult to breathe than the air-conditioning inside. It was only April, yet the island didn’t seem to know that this level of humidity was only acceptable starting around late June. The heat in the car was only magnified, making for a sticky, uncomfortable ride home as the air in the car couldn’t begin to overcome it. Thankfully, it was only a short ride before he was back in the driveway. 

“Jess, Sy and I are going to the beach again, wanna come?” Jaden was standing on the porch, already in his bathing suit. 

“Hey, Jay,” Jesse opened the porch door and stepped in. “I think I’ll pass. Y’all have fun though,” 

“’kay, we’ll be back in a bit. Gonna pick a spot on the beach for Sy and I to do the horizontal hula dance,” 

“That’s how you got banned from the last beach,” 

“Good thing there’s a shit ton of beaches around here,” Jaden laughed, devilish grin on his face. “Oh, Jim’s asleep by the way. Guess he’s decided to become nocturnal,” 

Oh yes. Jim was asleep. Jesse wouldn’t have to make up an excuse to not be alone with the man while the other two were gone. 

“Yeah, the time change is a real bitch,” Jesse said. “Glad he’s finally gotten to sleep, though,” 

“Yeah, I’d die if I didn’t get my twelve hours,” 

Jesse laughed. “Glad that hasn’t happened,” 

“That’s ‘cause I’m so diligent about getting my twelve hours,” Jaden turned his head toward the sound of the door swinging open. “Ready Sy?” 

“Yeah, I am,” Syrus answered. “Don’t get us banned from this beach, Jay,” 

“No promises,” Jaden linked arms with his boyfriend and waved to Jesse. “Peace out, Jess. Be back in a few hours,” 

Jesse waved goodbye, watching them pull out of the driveway. Hopefully he wouldn’t get a call from Jaden saying he had scarred a group of young children for life. 

Setting his keys down on the counter, he took a moment to enjoy how quiet the house had become. The only downside was that without Jaden or Syrus here, it would be much more difficult to distract himself from the thoughts that had been plaguing him. Distractions or no distractions, he needed to get the hell out of these clothes. Sweat was pooling his armpits and dripping down his back. As much as he loved living in the South, he could do without this part. 

The door to the guest room was still closed, Jim fast asleep on the other side. Sleep didn’t sound like such a bad idea, Jesse thought. He could turn the fans on the porch on full blast, change into something cooler, and curl up in one of the rocking chairs. He used to do that when he was younger, the heat lulling him to sleep, and he’d wake up when the cicadas were screaming and the night was starting to cool everything off. 

Jesse threw his sweaty clothes on the floor, exchanging them for a pair of shorts that were too short for him to feel comfortable leaving the house wearing—Jaden loved teasing him about it because they stopped maybe three inches above his knee and not revealing at all—but were extremely comfortable to sleep in and a white t-shirt. Extremely fashionable. 

This time when he walked out on to the porch, the heat was bearable, pleasant even. Flicking on the fans so he wouldn’t wake up sweatier than when he went to sleep, Jesse sat down in one of the chairs, trying not to rock it too much as he pulled his legs up on to the seat and rested his head on the arm, using one of the throw pillows to make it more comfortable. Staring out into the garden, the geraniums blowing in the breeze, he felt like he was back in high school, and that his mom would come out any moment to tell him she’d wake him up when dinner was ready. 

That wasn’t going to happen, of course, but it was a pleasant memory nonetheless. Jesse fell asleep with a promise that he’d call his mother the next day. His azaleas were looking less than stellar, and she’d certainly have plenty of advice to give. 

 

\-----------

 

His mother calling him inside for dinner wasn’t what woke Jesse up. Nothing woke him up, no alarms or Jaden jumping on his bed. Instead, he woke up, gradually, peacefully, the twilight sun casting everything in a warm orange glow. Jesse’s neck felt a bit stiff and his eyes felt like they were stuck together, but he wasn’t in a hurry to pry them open and start moving around. It had cooled off significantly, and coupled with the fans above him it was almost cold. Stretching out his legs, he pushed himself upright, cracking his neck to relieve the slight tension. Rubbing his eyes, wiping off the last vestiges of sleep, he opened his eyes. 

“Hey,” 

If Jesse weren’t still relaxed from his nap, the sudden greeting probably would’ve made him jump. Instead, he looked over to where the voice had come from. Jim was sitting in the other rocking chair, looking much better than he had this morning. There was an imprint on his cheek from the pillow, indicating he’d just woken up as well. 

Jesse wasn’t awake enough to feel awkward. “Hey, Jim,” 

“’twas a good idea, sleepin’ out here,” Jim said. “I might be too tall to sleep in a chair. Guess I’ll have to drag the mattress out here,” 

Jesse smiled. “I got an air mattress. That’d be easier than draggin’ the real one out here,” 

“Might have to take you up on that,” 

This was the most relaxed conversation they’d had in two days, and Jesse was enjoying it. The silence they lapsed into was comfortable, amicable, broken only by wind chimes and the sound of crickets. Jesse closed his eyes, breathing deeply, toying with the idea of curling back up in the chair and falling back asleep. Everyone else could fend for themselves for dinner. 

“Looks like those cuts are healing nicely,” 

Jim’s voice was closer. Jesse opened his eyes again to see Jim sitting on the ottoman, their knees only a couple inches apart. Oh, that was close. Jesse didn’t want to move his legs though. It’d be alright. Maybe they could just continue conversing like normal humans instead of reveling in tension. 

“Why’s everyone so worried ‘bout ‘em?” Jesse asked, sarcasm creeping in to his voice. “It was ceramic, not glass,” 

“’m not allowed to be worried ‘bout you?” Jim responded. He was staring down at Jesse’s feet, though the blue-haired man didn’t know if that was because he was looking at the scabbed-over cuts or avoiding eye contact. 

“It’s not that,” 

“I know you don’t like bein’ doted on,” Jim looked up. He’d taken off his bandage, revealing his scar, the remnant of an injury that had taken his eye. The first time Jim had taken off his bandage, the sunken-in eye socket had been a bit off-putting at first and Jesse had been ashamed that his shock had shown on his face. Now, since he’d seen Jim without his bandage many a time, Jesse no longer thought twice about it. 

The only thing that confounded Jesse about Jim’s eye was how the hell he managed not to run into things on his right side. Jesse, a clumsy person by nature, wouldn’t last a day without both of his eyes. 

“Jesse,” 

The way Jim said his name reminded him of this morning. Jim’s voice, barely above a whisper, nearly reverent—no one else said his name quite like that, like they were shocked that they were allowed to say his name out loud. Jim had said his name right before kissing his palm—come to think of it, Jim had always spoken his name like that. Back in college, when they were in their not-relationship, Jim would whisper his name like it was a prayer, whether they were cuddling, kissing, or—no, that was then. This is now. 

“Jesse,” Jim said his name again. If Jim was going to keep saying his name like that, Jesse would no longer be able to justify that there was nothing left between them, that past and present weren’t bleeding in to each other. Jim touching his face yesterday and kissing him this morning meant nothing. 

Nothing. 

Nothing at all. 

Jesse felt something closing around his ankle, snapping him back to reality. What was grabbing him? Was that—

“Jim?” 

The Australian had Jesse’s foot in his lap, gripping his ankle to ensure that the blue-haired man wouldn’t be able to pull away. Seeing as that was Jesse’s first instinct, that was excellent foresight. Like when Jim had kissed his hand this morning, Jim’s grip on his ankle was making his skin tingle, goose pimples appearing on his leg, heart speeding up as he gripped the arms of the rocking chair. 

“Checkin’ out your cuts,” Jim answered, running his fingers over the scabs. 

“I—I told you they were healin’,” Jesse stammered. The gentle touch of Jim’s fingers had moved from the scabs to the arch, pressing in the slightest bit. “What’re you doin’, not takin’ my word for it?” 

“It’s not that,” Jim said softly. 

Jesse felt the pressure on his arch increase and struggled not to let out an indecent noise as Jim rubbed out the tension in the bottom of his foot. “T-then what’s with you insistin’ on seein’ for yourself?” 

Jim didn’t answer, only dug his fingers in deeper, tightened his grip on Jesse’s ankle. It wasn’t so tight that Jesse couldn’t pull his leg away if he really wanted to, but Jesse wanted to pretend that he was being held hostage to justify the fact he was starting to enjoy the massage. 

“I know you don’t wanna talk about it, Jess,” Jim sighed, digging his thumb into a particularly tense muscle, making Jesse bite his lip so he wouldn’t cry out. When had he gotten all of these knots in his foot? “I think we should, though,”

Jesse couldn’t avoid it this time, so he relented, however reluctantly, anxiety twisting in his chest. “Yeah, prob’ly should,” 

Jim picked up Jesse’s other foot, and after running his fingers over the scabs, he began giving it the same treatment. “I’m sorry things ended the way they did—I’m bad at words and feelings,” 

“I am too,” Jesse agreed. “About the bein’ sorry and the bad with words thing,” 

“You’ve nothin’ to be sorry for,” 

“How do you mean, Jim? I didn’t even bother to keep in contact with you after graduation. I’ve been avoidin’ this conversation since you set foot in my house, even when you wanted to have it,” Jesse’s face flushed. Admitting that he’d been purposefully avoiding this talk out loud made him sound much more childish than it did in his head. 

“I mean that I knew you liked me, not just as a fuck buddy,” Jim’s fingers moved up to his ankle, rubbing gently and making Jesse suck in a breath. “And I liked you too—I was scared,” 

Jesse shifted uncomfortably. He had liked Jim. The l-word would probably be applicable. He had assumed Jim didn’t return the feeling and hadn’t said anything.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, would’ve saved us a lot of trouble,” 

“I could’ve said somethin’ too, y’know,” Jesse’s voice sounded much more wobbly than he wanted, and he swallowed a lump in his throat that he didn’t know he had. 

Jim stopped rubbing Jesse’s ankle, sighing heavily. “I—we, I guess, since you wanna take responsibility, messed up, didn’t we?” 

“Yeah, we did,” Jesse threaded his fingers through his bangs, trying to expend some of the nervous energy building up. 

“If you don’t ever wanna see me again after I leave, I understand,” 

“No!” 

Jim looked up from where he was intently studying the floor, evidently surprised at Jesse’s response. 

Jesse flushed, covering his mouth with his hand. He hadn’t expected to say that, let alone with such conviction. “I—Jim, I don’t want you t’disappear again. I messed up the first time but I don’t wanna do it again,” 

“Alright,” Jim seemed to be processing the implications of Jesse’s statement. Jesse struggled to remember how to breathe. He could practically hear the wheels turning in Jim’s head. 

The processing was taking too long for Jesse, who felt like he’d bared his soul. “If it’s just a friend thing, ‘salright, too. Don’t wanna pressure you into anythin’,”

“Jesse,” Jim’s hand slid up his right calf, not massaging, just absentmindedly touching. Jesse wanted to consider it an affectionate gesture, but refused to get his hopes up. 

“Just, seems like us meetin’ like this again ain’t a coincidence,” Jesse kept talking, wanting to prolong Jim’s response, wanting to exist in this liminal space for a few moments longer. “It’d be a shame t—” 

“I love you, Jesse Anderson,” 

Jesse choked on his words, mouth dropping down to his chest. His heart forgot how to beat, it seemed. Breathing seemed to escape him. His mind raced—how was he supposed to respond to that? He wanted to throw himself at the man, bury his face in his neck, and cry. Happy tears, though. He’d wanted to hear those words throughout their not-relationship in college, fantasized about it a shameful number of times. Now, three years later, he’d finally gotten to hear it, and all he could do was stare, frozen. 

“That feels good to say,” Jim gave a nervous laugh, casting his eyes downward and scratching the back of his head. “’bout three years late,” 

“B-better late than never,” Jesse forced out, his throat threatening to close with every word. 

“Jesse, are you—I’m so sorry,” Jim dropped to his knees, letting Jesse’s legs slide off his lap, feet clapping against the floor. 

“What’re you talkin’ ‘bout?” Jesse asked, looking down at Jim between his legs. 

“Jesse, you’re crying,” 

He brought his hand to his face, feeling the wetness on his cheek. “Huh, well look at that,” 

“Jesse,” Jim’s brows were furrowed, his eye studying Jesse’s face, concern etched on his features. “I’m sorry I—” 

“Happy tears,” Jesse interrupted, feeling a smile on his face. “Happy tears, Jim,” 

Jim returned his smile. He reached up, resting his hand on Jesse’s face like he had yesterday morning, except this time Jesse allowed himself to revel in the touch, leaning into Jim’s palm, covering it with his own hand. Jim’s other hand came to brush Jesse’s hair behind his ear, cupping his face. 

“Jesse,” Jim whispered, raspy and deep. “Jesse, can I kiss you?” 

Heart hammering in his ears, Jesse nodded and closed his eyes. 

Their lips came together slowly, Jim taking his time in pulling Jesse’s face down and craning his own neck to meet in the middle. Jesse felt breath on his cheek, the brush of Jim’s nose against his own, the slight scratch of stubble, and then finally—finally, he felt Jim’s lips. 

Jesse couldn’t stop the pleased sound in his throat as they kissed. He remembered wanting to kiss Jim at the beach, taste the salt water on his lips, and he was glad he hadn’t—the taste of Jim, not covered by salt, was much better, made his stomach flutter and face flush. Jesse leaned into the kiss, wanting to get closer, feel the hard lines of Jim’s body pressed against him. He scooted to the edge of the rocking chair, crossing his legs around Jim’s back, wrapping his arms around Jim’s neck, tongue dipping in to Jim’s mouth. It was so good—not enough, though. He didn’t want to pull back to tell Jim that. He wanted to keep his mouth on the other man’s, kiss him senseless until he stopped breathing. 

Jim was the one that finally pulled away, breathing labored as he pressed his forehead against Jesse’s. “Jess, I want you,” 

“I want you too,” Jesse breathed. “Let’s go inside,” 

“I’ve got a better idea,” Jim’s hands fell from Jesse’s face to circle around his waist. Effortlessly he picked up the blue-haired man, who clung tighter to Jim and pressed kisses along his neck. Jim carried him to the side door of the porch, forcing it open. 

The last rays of sunlight shone through the trees, creating a beautiful mosaic of light on the grass. Jim set him down, letting him get his balance before giving his shoulder a push, urging him to sit down on the grass. Jesse complied, and soon the Australian was forcing him on to his back, hovering over him, his face illuminated by the sunlight. 

“Remember at school, Jess?” Jim leaned down to kiss behind Jesse’s ear, his breath tickling the lobe and making Jesse’s fingers dig in to the grass. “We had our spot in the forest—right near Jaden’s dorm,” 

Jesse nodded, memories flooding back to him. “Y-yeah, I think that grass isn’t gonna grow for the next few years,” 

“Neither is your grass,” Jesse could feel Jim smiling against his neck. 

“I’m alright with that,” 

Jim’s hand slid up Jesse’s shirt, slowly, deliberately, trailing his fingertips over each bit of skin and leaving a burning, white-hot sensation in their wake. The shirt was riding up, up over Jesse’s nipples, teasing them as the fabric slid over the sensitive flesh. Grass tickled his back as Jim removed the shirt, still radiating warmth from baking in the sun all day. Jesse could feel himself getting hard as Jim continued with his reverent touches, exploring Jesse’s skin slowly, staring down at his exposed chest like it was the last thing he was going to see. Oh, this was just like college—Jim was never quick or rough, he liked to drag things out, thoroughly enjoy Jesse’s body, often whispering how beautiful Jesse was or how soft his skin was, making Jesse blush under the attention. He didn’t enjoy being the center of attention—that was Jaden’s job—but Jim never seemed to care, lavishing attention on every bit of Jesse’s body before getting him off, leaving Jesse a blissed-out mess by the end of it. 

“Oh, Jess,” Jim was running his knuckles over Jesse’s sternum, pausing to turn his hand over and lay the palm over his heartbeat. “I never thought I’d get to do this again,” 

“I didn’t either,” Jesse laid his hand over Jim’s. “Look at us now though—relivin’ college,” 

“Not reliving,” Jim corrected. “’cause I’m not gonna make the mistake of lettin’ you go again,” 

Jesse bit his lip, hoping the pain would keep tears from spilling out over his eyes. Happy tears, they were, but still a mood killer. 

“Take off your shirt too,” Jesse tugged on Jim’s sleeve. 

“In a minute,” Jim leaned down, descending upon his collarbone, lips dragging over the skin gently, ignoring Jesse’s insistent tugging on his sleeve. Jim’s tongue flicked over the protruding bones, leaving a white-hot sensation that had Jesse arching into the touch and letting out a shaky breath. “You look so good, Jess—wanna take my time with you,” 

Jesse could appreciate that, however his erection was growing insistent and Jim’s hot, wet mouth sucking on his neck. He hadn’t touched anything below the collarbone, and Jesse wanted to feel the other man far below his neck. Desperate for contact and fully aware that Jim would make good on his statement of wanting to take his time, Jesse wound his legs around the other man’s waist, pulling his hips down so that their cocks pressed against each other. Jim moaned against his neck, and Jesse buried his hands in Jim’s hair and pulled him into a searing kiss, letting out a whine at the friction. 

“Jesse,” Jim panted into his ear as they pulled apart. 

“Can’t wait,” Jesse tilted his hips, moving against Jim in short, quick motions, pleasure rippling out from his cock, up his spine and down to his toes. The grass was scratching against his back and the last remnants of humidity were making him sticky, and he gripped on to Jim’s shirt as his hands grew sweaty, needing something to grab on to. 

“You—ah—used to like when I went slow,” Jim tried to laugh, but the sound morphed into a moan. 

“I do,” Jesse could feel it becoming more difficult to focus on speaking. “Later, Jim—I, ah! I promise,” 

“Lemme take your pants off, touch you proper,” 

That was the best thing Jesse had heard all day. 

Stopping his movements and letting his hands fall to the ground, Jesse felt Jim’s palms on his hips, feeling his skin, running his thumbs over the bones. Jesse was ready to ask Jim to hurry up again when he felt fabric sliding down his thighs, soon fully removed and cast out into the grass. He lay naked, splayed out in the last patch of sunlight shining through the trees, Jim staring down at him, that reverent look in his eyes that made Jesse both self-conscious and flattered, torn between his distaste for being the center of attention and his arousal. 

“Jim,” Jesse moaned, his legs finding his way around Jim’s waist again, urging the other man to get a move on. 

“One sec, Jess,” 

Ready to kick his legs and cross his arms out of frustration, Jesse was unreasonably excited to see Jim pulling his own pants down, throwing them off to the side where they joined Jesse’s. He wanted to reach out and wrap his hand around Jim’s thick cock, feel it pulse in his hand, but Jim was leaning back down, covering Jesse’s body with his larger one, their cocks sliding together. Jesse heard himself moan, deep and throaty, vibrating throughout his chest as he latched on to Jim, fingers digging into Jim’s back, the shirt still preventing him from being able to truly feel the powerful muscles in the Australian’s back. He wanted to tell him to take it off, the thought half-formed in his head as he tried to communicate, yet his mouth did not obey. He’d been reduced to a moaning, sweaty mess as Jim moved against him. 

“Jesse—ah—Jesse,” Jim was echoing his moans, repeating the blue-haired mans name like a mantra. Jesse wanted to respond in kind, moan Jim’s name so the Australian knew he was the only thing Jesse was thinking about, the only thing that mattered to him. He wanted Jim to know that his heart could give out right at this moment and he would be the happiest man on earth. His mouth couldn’t form anything more coherent than a whimper as Jim sped up his movements, hands descending to Jesse’s hips to hold him in place. 

“’m not gonna last long,” 

Jesse heard the words, but couldn’t respond, only held on as Jim gave a few final thrusts against him before tensing. Sticky, hot fluid spilled on to his stomach as Jim came, and Jesse held the other man tight, giddy that he’d made him feel so good. Jim laid still, his weight comfortable and warm atop of Jesse. He was still painfully aroused, his erection trapped between their stomachs, yet he was much more focused on the way Jim felt in his arms, the way his breath moved across his neck. 

“Your turn,” Jim said after a few moments, pushing himself up on to his left hand and reaching down with his right, hand circling around Jesse’s erection. 

“Ah—Jim!” Jesse’s nails dug into Jim’s shoulders as he squeezed his eyes shut, the pleasure reaching its peak as the other man pumped his cock. If he could think clearly, he might have been embarrassed at how only ten seconds seemed to pass before he was coming, arching his back, his mouth falling open in a silent scream as heat overwhelmed him. 

It was a moment before Jesse could open his eyes again. Jim was leaning over him still, wiping off his hand in the grass before falling down on his side, their sticky skin pressed tightly together. The sunlight was all but gone, the crickets louder, and the grass scratchy and uncomfortable, yet Jesse couldn’t help but grin, happiness exploding from his chest. 

“Nice!” 

Jaden? 

“Glad we left—seems you two had plans of your own,” 

Jesse shot up, covering his softening cock with his hands as embarrassment colored his face pink for what felt like the billionth time in the past two days. Jim similarly sat up and covered himself, the two of them huddling together like high schoolers caught by their parents. 

“Jaden! You don’t have any room to tease them!” 

Oh no. How long had the two of them been standing there? 

“Aw, c’mon, I just saw the tail end of it. It’d be enough to get them banned from the beach, though,” Jaden laughed from the porch. “I’ll let you two get your pants on—nice ass by the way, Jess,” 

“Thanks,” Jesse mumbled, still burning with embarrassment as they left the porch to enter the house. 

“Is it wrong I’m a bit offended he didn’t compliment my ass?” 

Jesse looked over at Jim, incredulous. They held eye contact for a moment, silent, before laughing, the noise echoing through the trees. 

“If it’s any consolation, you do have a nice ass,” Jesse said once they’d stopped. 

“Nice enough to risk getting the cops called to the beach for?” 

“You don’t leave for ‘nother few days. Plenty of time to find out,” 

Jim laid his arm on Jesse’s shoulders, bringing him in close. “There’s no one else I’d rather be charged with indecent exposure with than you,” 

“Aw, that’s sweet of you, Jim,” 

Jim lowered his lips on to Jesse’s, kissing him deeply. Before Jesse could feel arousal building in his stomach again, he pulled away. “We should get banned here, then you come visit me in Australia and we do the same thing. We can one-up Jaden and be felons in two countries,” 

Jesse couldn’t help but howl with laughter. Jim wanted him to come visit him. Jim wanted to see him again. He was so elated he wouldn’t be surprised if he started floating away carried by cartoon birds singing show tunes. 

As he sat with Jim in the rapidly approaching darkness, he finally got to say something he’d been meaning to for three years. 

“I love you, Jim Cook,”

**Author's Note:**

> i seem to have a thing for jesse gettin it on outside and im not ashamed bout it
> 
> I’m excited to announce that I’m open for [commissions!](https://spellcastersjudgement.tumblr.com/post/174622005229/hey-yall-horrible-puns-and-cheesy-banner-aside) I also have a [Ko-Fi!](https://ko-fi.com/spellcastersjudgement) Thank you for donating/commissioning!


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